How to Check a UKGC Licensed Casino in 2026
Player protections can be used to mitigate increases in the risk of gambling harm. A more detailed estimate of the impact for each option will be presented in the final stage impact assessment, once further data has been collected. Therefore, the risk of increased gambling harm is assumed to be higher for Options 1 and 3 than Option 2. This increase is expected to be higher under Option 1 than Option 2, as operators will not be restricted by device constraints. Data on net expenditure per session shows that from April to September 2019, the vast majority of sessions across all machine categories ended in the player either winning money or losing up to £20. A ‘mixed session’ is a single session that takes place on games of different machine categories.
A UK online casino license is required for all casino operators seeking to operate in the United Kingdom. It early allowed people to play Mega Vault Millionaire slot and other similar casino games on online gambling sites. Remote gaming machine technical – software operating licence Remote gaming machine technical – supplier licence
The legislation also requires ATMs in gambling-licensed premises to be positioned so that any customer who wishes to use them must stop gambling in order to do so, while in pubs and clubs the rule comes from the Code of Practice. We do not currently have sufficient data to estimate the likely uptake of additional Category B machines under each option, nor on how the average GGY per machine will change as a result. Category B machines are significantly more profitable for operators earning considerably higher GGY than Category C and D alternatives. We do not currently have sufficient data to estimate the likely reduction of Category C and D machines under each option. This will include assessing the role of sessions limits across Category B and C machines alongside safer gambling tools.
Regulation 9 also sets committed payment limits, money which cannot be refunded to the player once it is paid or transferred onto the machine’s credit or play meter. Regulation 7 of the Gaming Machine (Circumstances of Use) Regulations 2007 sets the financial (payment) limit on the amount a person can deposit on a machine in a single action. The need to future-proof the land-based gambling sector provides the rationale for change. Consumer preferences therefore indicate that cashless would need to complement, rather than replace, cash as a gambling payment method.
This license also allows for online gambling operations. Please see the casino (host) licence for further details. This includes poker, roulette, blackjack and other casino games, as well as online slot games. Since January 2026, UKGC licensed operators are not allowed to offer wagering requirements of more than 10x for any bonus offers advertised.
Running an online casino for UK consumers requires a Remote Casino Operating Licence under the Gambling Act 2005. For example, it will allow you to supply gambling software via methods of secure file transmission or to make gambling software available for download by operators from your server. A UKGC licence is authorisation from the UK Gambling Commission for a company to offer gambling to players in Great Britain.
UK gambling licensing regime
Be cautious of affiliate websites that claim to identify the „best“ casinos. We do not rate, rank, review or recommend any gambling operators. All UKGC licensed operators must comply with the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). A Kahnawake casino licence is a Canadian Mohawk-territory permit, not a UK one. It means the site is not licensed to offer gambling in Great Britain, so UK safer-gambling rules, GamStop and the UK complaints route do not apply to it. Our guide on whether non-GamStop casinos are legal in the UK explains the difference.
Reading the footer licence claim critically
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The size of Britain’s land-based casino sector has remained relatively flat in recent years, in contrast to an expanding online market. Restrictions on supply were originally viewed as an important protection in the 2005 Act, but in the light of the availability of remote gambling the characteristics of products and quality of monitoring have assumed greater importance. Do you want to stay compliant with UK gambling regulations?
These generate 11% of all GGY generated from Category B machines. On the other hand, in 62% of all sessions from April to September 2019, the player either won money on the machines or lost an amount up to £20. Notably, these rates are below the at-risk and problem gambling rates for casino table games (31.5% and 6.4% respectively). • Any non-gambling area may consist of one or more areas within the premisesDo you agree that this should remain the same under the new regime? • Each separate area comprising the non-gambling area, other than the lobby areas and toilet facilities, must contain recreational facilities that are available for use by customers on the premises. It is for the Scottish Ministers to consider whether they want to amend the Mandatory and Default Conditions that apply to casinos located in Scotland.
UK licensing demands preparation. Our ultimate gaming license guide compares timing and requirements across jurisdictions. Annual fees start at £3,155 for basic remote licenses. Getting licensed is the easy part. Approved operators receive their license certificate and unique license number.
(6) The premises must contain a non-gambling area, the floor area of which is no less than the lesser of— (3) Subject to sub-paragraph (4), in determining the floor area of the table gaming area, any number of separate areas within the premises may be taken into account. (2) The premises must contain a table gaming area, the floor area of which is no less than the lesser of— “(1) This paragraph applies to larger converted casino premises.”, and
A casino application can take up to 16 weeks to process depending on the complexity of your business. The LCCP outlines the requirements that all operating and personal licence holders must follow. The following legislation and policies are also applicable to operating licence holders. Personal Management Licences allow people to work in certain roles in a gambling business.
The Gambling Commission will also undertake a review of gaming machine technical standards, to include assessment of the role of session limits across Category B and C machines and the role of safer gambling tools. While online operators are able to track play precisely and apply more tailored player protections, land-based casinos have adopted a range of measures in recent years that have enhanced player protections and tracking. Licensing authorities (local authorities in England and Wales and licensing boards in Scotland) are responsible for licensing gambling premises, in parallel with the Gambling Commission licensing of operators. There have been substantial changes to how consumers make payments in society since the ban on direct debit card use on gaming machines. Measures that we are seeking views on are intended to address inconsistencies between the different types of casino licence, as well as levelling the playing field to an extent between land-based and online operators.
- Also, Category C and D gaming machine device types made available for use must be of similar size and scale to Category B.
- Operating licences are the primary authorisation required to provide gambling facilities in Great Britain.
- Contrastingly, respondents from local government, campaign groups and academia were more cautious about any measures which could be seen as increasing the supply of gambling opportunities, due to links between rates of gambling participation and gambling-related harm.
- The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is a respected EU regulator many operators also hold, but on its own it doesn’t provide UK-specific protections like GAMSTOP.
- The white paper set out the government’s plans for modernising the regulation of the gambling sector.
Such a resolution must be published as part of the authority’s licensing policy statement made under Part 18, and lasts for 3 years from the date it takes effect. The licensing authority may take into account any principle or matter in making its decision, and may pass a resolution giving effect to their decision at any time. This decision is to be taken by the licensing authority as a whole, and may not be delegated to the licensing committee under sections 154 and 155. Where the licensing authority grants an application, a person who made representations may appeal.
Categories include land-based, online, and ancillary licenses (e.g., phone or email betting). Remote gambling licenses cover online operations. The draft Casinos Regulations form part of a package of interlinked statutory instruments which make changes to the regulatory framework for land-based casinos. Draft statutory instruments that form part of the package of measures that will change the regulatory framework for land-based casinos. Many such sites promote unlicensed operators or are influenced by commercial relationships rather than player interests.
Should the government introduce an age limit on ‘cash-out’ Category D slot-style machines to 18 and over? This does not distinguish between ‘cash-out’ and ‘ticket-out’ machines. The survey found that in the last 12 months, 3% of respondents had spent their own money on fruit or slot machines and a total of 6% had experience of playing on fruit or slot machines. While under-18s may make up a small proportion of total players, there is evidence that they do play on these machines. We expect this measure to restrict the play of under-18s on machines in scope.
This would also apply for in-fill and tablet gaming machines. Our objective in reforming the ratio of Category C and D to Category B gaming machines is to support a sector which has experienced significant commercial challenges in recent years through increased flexibility over their gaming machine offer. This chapter outlines the evidence received in relation to the white paper proposal to amend the ratio of Category C and D to Category B gaming machines in arcade and bingo venues. In making this recommendation we recognise the potential advantages that 1968 Act casinos may have over Small 2005 Act casinos that elect to move to the new regime, in terms of Schedule 9 payments and the portability of licences.
This work could then feed into the messaging that is displayed on machines. The casinos not on gamestop vast majority of responses stated that specific safer gambling messaging should be considered within cashless gambling. We do not propose that staff alerts are required for Category D machines that accept direct debit card payments. However, we think that this is an important tool that staff could use to monitor players and therefore, it should be a feature on Category B and C machines accepting cashless payments.
The outcome of that consultation is not yet known.An “economic crime levy” is payable by entities that are regulated for anti-money laundering purposes (currently only casinos in the UK) and which generate more than £10.2 million in UK revenue. This process of formal review – Section 116 of the Gambling Act 2005 – can result in almost any sort of penalty from the regulator, including suspension and revocation of licences. The Gambling Commission also has powers to launch criminal investigations and bring criminal proceedings against companies and individuals (and, as at the time of writing, there is a live prosecution brought by the Commission against a company for providing unlicensed gambling facilities to consumers in Britain, illustrating the Gambling Commission’s willingness to exercise such power). Personal licences tend to have a five-year duration and must, however, be renewed. This distinction cannot be ignored, and the regulator has no power to grant a licence that authorises both remote and land-based activity.
(Mandatory response)Increased revenue / No impact Decreased revenue / I don’t know (Mandatory response)Significant increase / Slight increase / No impact / Slight decrease / Significant decrease / I don’t know / Not applicable Casinos that are currently permitted to offer betting may site a maximum of 40 Self-Service Betting Terminals (SSBTs). Additionally, an objective of this measure is to reduce average session duration, which is linked to gambling harm.
However, given the relatively low level of annual fees per premises at present, we consider this to be unlikely. It is possible that there will be wider costs if the increase in fees means that existing premises are unable to afford their total fees and close down as a result, or if new premises decide not to open due to the higher fees. We assume that licensing authorities will increase their current charged fees in proportion with the increase in the maximum fee cap. This would potentially generate an additional £2,340,000 in total annual funding for local authorities and increase average annual costs per premises by £251. This would potentially generate an additional £1,560,000 in total annual funding for local authorities and increase average annual costs per premises by £167. This would potentially generate an additional £780,000 in total annual funding for local authorities and increase average annual costs per premises by £84.
The stated aims of the Commission are to keep crime out of gambling, Ensure it is conducted in a fair and open manner and to protect the vulnerable. On receiving the application, we may make a representation to the local licensing authority about it. Details on the information that we require from licensing authorities.
A gambling business may ask you for a selfie if they think there may be fraudulent activity on your account. A customer cannot place a bet until they have been verified, so gambling businesses will verify customers as quickly as possible so that they can start gambling. If a gambling business can verify you electronically the process may be instant. We don’t say which types of information gambling businesses should ask for.